On average, 600,000 people die of Heart Disease in the United States every year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths. “There are several medical conditions and lifestyle choices that put people at higher risk for heart disease with poor diet being a top contributor,” said Dr. Michael J. Muschel, an attending physician of ColumbiaDoctors of the Hudson Valley. “Eating for better heart health does not involve one type of set diet as there are several different approaches that can help reduce the risk factors and lessen the likelihood of a heart attack or other cardiac event.”

Michael Pollan: Michael Pollan, an author and journalist, summarizes dietary advice in three sentences: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." What this means is that we should focus on natural rather than processed foods, control portion size, and eat primarily plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Animal proteins such as meat, chicken, and fish should be treated as side dishes rather than the main course. This diet is best for patients who prefer a general approach to eating rather than a strict “prescription.”

Dean Ornish: Dean Ornish, a physician in California, promotes a diet that is extremely low in fat and mostly plant-based. His eating plan is quite strict and is best followed by patients who are highly committed to dramatically changing the way they eat. The integrative Dr. Ornish approach, which also involves physical activity, meditation, and other lifestyle changes has been shown to reduce heart disease in real patients, though relatively few have been formally studied.

Gary Taubes: Gary Taubes, a science writer, promotes a diet that is low in carbohydrates. Patients who have diabetes, metabolic syndrome, elevated triglycerides, and/or low HDL and also are overweight may benefit from a low carb diet as a way to jumpstart weight loss and improve their risk factors. This approach and its various permutations (Atkins, South Beach, Sugar Busters, etc) often are successful at promoting weight loss when more moderate approaches have failed and can be transitioned into a more balanced way of eating once weight loss stabilizes.

Fred Flintstone: Fred Flintstone may have eaten the equivalent of today’s Paleo Diet, filling his plate with only what the hunter-gatherer of yesteryear could scrounge up—fish, meats, vegetables, fruit, mushrooms, roots, and nuts—while avoiding grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, sugar, and processed oils. This diet may help lower blood cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose short-term, but it is nutritionally unbalanced and is not scientifically proven to work.

“Changing your eating habits is tough,” stated Dr. Michael J. Muschel. “Whether you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt or you simply want to fine-tune your diet, recognizing which foods to eat more of and which foods to limit, will put you on the path toward a heart-healthy diet.”

Dr. Michael J. Muschel has more than 25 years of experience in the field of preventative cardiology, with a focus on cholesterol management. An original member and attending physician when it was established in 1987 as the Ramapo Cardiology Associates, Dr. Muschel received all of his medical education and specialty training at the renowned Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.

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